A Reader Writes... (Brezina Writes - Part 2)

In response to the post by Bob Brezina, a reader writes,

“Maybe this is the sign I've been looking for.”

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Brezina Writes - Part 1)

In response to the post by Bob Brezina, a reader writes:

“As usual, Brezina puts things into a concrete and understandable context. I often look to Brezina for approval, as I have tremendous respect for him, and I see his post on this issue as approval. I have run the good race and fought the good fight on more than one occasion. I have paid dearly for fighting for students.

In highly dysfunctional districts you will find in almost every case they are extremely adult centered. That is why they have become dysfunctional. I have always kept my eye on the prize, which is student success. My students have thrived, adults have complained, and I have paid the ultimate price (which is leaving the position, packing up the family, and moving to a new district). More than once, I have lost thousands, no, hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process (try selling a house, quickly). And I will do it again in this new position if that's what it takes!

I recently told a principal who I am trying to mentor that I have always made decisions that favored kids. I have paid dearly, but in the long run my career has prospered as districts tend to seek me out. On the other hand, you can play political games and worry about your contract renewal, the game everyone plays. And when it comes time for you to find a new district, and believe me, that time will come, you will be no different than everyone else out there looking for jobs. Fight the good fight, no matter what. You will pay for it, but you will also be in demand. As Brezina says, doing the right thing, for the right reason is quite rare these days."

SC Response
Your post touches on a lot of themes that we discuss here. But what I want to highlight is your lack of fear. What the reader describes is completely factual. What has set him apart from the principals that he succeeded is his utter fearlessness. The principals before him were not bad people. They did not set out to purposely drive their schools into the proverbial ditch. But that is exactly what they did. And each one of them did it because they believed that each compromise they made that sacrificed the needs of students to needs of adults and local “politics” would be the last.

You quickly learned the lesson that I learned (it helps to have the same coaches). When you tackle the hopelessly broken, it is a short term job. If you do it right, you upset enough people to the point that staying isn’t a viable option. If you do it wrong, nothing changes and you get run out of town. The difference is, when you are interviewing for the next job, you can talk about your accomplishments instead of making excuses. What is interesting, is even when people know this, they are still afraid to step up.

Finally, as I have told you before, working for Brezina was such a remarkable experience, that I actually feel sorry for those who never had the chance. He simplified the job of being a principal. When he hired me, he told me, “You do what’s right for my kids, and I’ll take care of the politics.” A little later when I had ventured past my comfort zone for speed and action, I told them that I thought that I might be pushing too hard and too fast. He told me, “I’ll tell you when you’ve gone too far. You do the job I hired you for.”

He remained true to that until the day he retired. Since then I have worked for and with a number of Superintendents, none of which are as resolute. Brezina is the standard.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Asks... Why You?

A reader asks,

“Can you please tell me why our district has contracted your services? I have read through your blogs and information and it seems to me that everything you say is basically common sense.

I was just wondering what you have to offer our district.

Thanks.”

SC Response
Thank you for reading the blog, reflecting on what you have read and being willing to write in and ask a critical question. You have validated one of our guiding principles. Common sense advice and solutions are our goal. Yes, it is fun to talk theory, but for us, one of the true measures of whether or not we are adding value is effectiveness; and effectiveness generally boils down to common sense.

Districts contract with us for numerous reasons, a few of which are explained below.

1. We are a company of principals, with well over 90% of our coaching staff having significant and successful principal experience. What this means to the client is that our advice, training and solutions are geared towards both effectiveness and efficiency. What we suggest has to work, but it also has to work without overloading staff and teachers who are already busy and working hard.

2. We focus on subtraction as much as we focus on addition. Instead of telling a teacher, a campus and/or a district, that they have to do something new on top of everything else they are doing, we show the client what to quit doing. Or, at the very least, how the new thing will quickly take other tasks or problems off their plates.

3. We believe that the great untapped source of professional knowledge is the campus. As such, our systems, tools, training and coaching are geared towards empowering the professionals in the field and channeling their collective brain power.

4. We coach 24/7. If a district, school, administrator or teacher needs help, we help, right then.

5. None of the above would matter if we didn’t get results. The districts and schools that we work with improve faster than other schools and quickly begin to outperform others. When that happens, students have both more and better options, which is what we are all working for.

Thanks for your comment and question, welcome to the LYS nation.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Problems with the Boss - Part 9)

In response to the posts regarding “Problems with the Boss,” a reader writes:

“As SC has stated, enough is enough when accountability becomes intense enough for no one to hide. Most administrators and teachers will tell you accountability is out of control. They will say we need to roll back the clock. I am the first to admit that the accountability testing system we have is far from perfect. But I too am for increased accountability for the very reasons discussed in this forum. If you have had enough, step up to the plate and take a swing. But, as SC pointed out, you need to be aware there may be consequences. The weak currently outnumber the strong, and the weak have the positions of power. Be brave, be empowered, but also be informed of the risks. The path you are discussing will take you into harm's way."

SC Response
The timid and the self-centered do not outnumber the resolute and driven in every system. They simply follow the path of least resistance and gravitate in the pockets of weak leadership. Teaching may be were the rubber hits the road, but it is leadership that gets the car moving, puts it on the right path, and then keeps it there.

The issue that you have faced is that you have made a career of going to the places where student needs are the most acute and you believed the Boards, Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents who they told you that their failure was a teacher issue. As you are learning, systems don’t crash because of poor teachers, they crash because of poor leadership, and unfortunately you have worked for those at the bottom of the barrel.

The harm that you have faced is the vagabond existence that you and your family have been submitted to. But as someone who has walked a mile in your shoes, the intrensic rewards generally outweigh the harm. There is a group of us who remind me of the old basketball coach, Bill Fitch. Coach Fitch made a career of rebuilding bad NBA franchises. Though he rarely got to experience the ultimate fruits of his labor, he saved careers, rebuilt the professional work ethic and rebooted community pride. You and the old school LYS teachers, AP’s, principals and superintendents do the same. Where’s the harm in that?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Brezina Writes... Problems with the Boss - Part 8

As I follow this strand of posts, I find it funny how we always seem to go in big circles. A circle that is generally driven by the politics of the organization. But no matter whether you are the Superintendent or Principal, the leader has to create the understanding that students are first. If this puts you in a contrary position with your boss (yes, Superintendents have a boss – seven of them to be precise) you have to decide how you are going to reconcile this with your beliefs.

Similar to old days when a preacher would often only stay at a church for about seven years, you have to realize that you can only take a person or organization so far, then it is time to pass the baton and move on. And I think this may be the heart of the issue. You have to start with what you are given and make it better for students, first and foremost. This may not be why you were hired, but it is the right thing to do.

Believe me, and I speak from experience, when you do the right things a number of people will hate you for it while you are there. But when you leave, they will praise you and remember you fondly. Unfortunately, the leadership I speak of (doing the right thing, because it is the right thing) is becoming more and more rare. It seems that most leaders care more about getting re-elected or renewed. The person who truly puts students first stands out in any system, in the wrong system that person becomes a target.

BB

A Reader Writes... (Problems with the Boss - Part 7)

In response to the posts regarding “Problems with the Boss,” a reader writes:

“We all have problems with our boss at times. I have worked for my current boss for almost three years. It has been a great three years. Even so, sometimes have been smoother than others (isn’t that true in all relationships?). But reading the blog and thinking has made me realize, it almost always depends on what I take to the conversation, on what I bring to the boss, on how I approach the topic and the questions that I ask.

Thinking back, we now have very different conversations when compared to what we discussed the first year. As you and your boss get to know each other you must realize that he or she(rightfully) expects you to modify around his style, meet his needs, shoulder more and more of his burden so he can focus on the things that only he can do. My advice is to take a look at the type of questions you are asking your boss or the topics you engage on. Is what you are asking really important, or just CYA, or just to make yourself feel important (that last one is hard to admit but sometimes that is really what we are doing).

So, if you’re not getting along with your boss just step back, re-evaluate, and take a new track that is more in line with what your boss needs at this moment. And rest assured that about the time you have it figured out, the situation, and thus your response, will have changed and you will get to start all over. It is like evolution. It just keeps changing.”

SC Response
Dead solid perfect! What you are describing is the concept of “managing up.” This is a critical career building skill, a skill that can be either self-serving or team serving. How you use it is determined by your own moral code and the legacy you want to leave. Essentially it is a question of “Honor.”

The expert at managing up can earn promotions and garner personal favors and prestige. Unfortunately, the more you are willing to compromise your principles, the more immediate the rewards can flow to you. The question becomes, “can you look yourself in the mirror in the morning?” Also, know that though you may reap material gains, those below and beside you (and often above you) will not hold you in high esteem and the legacy you leave behind will at best be a footnote.

On the other hand, manage up to serve your team and you will place your people in the optimum positions for achieving great things. I always worked to cultivate the idea that my teams could solve the unsolvable. As such, we generally received first shot at the difficult issues. Our successes brought more opportunities. Our failures brought additional respect for attempting to tackle the problems that no one else would touch. Because we defined our success in terms of student performance, our methods were above reproach.

So I circle back to the concept of a moral code and honor. I had a young principal ask me how I built up the courage to take on the “establishment.” I told him that it was two things. One, I never give up the moral “high ground.” I engage to ensure student success; I don’t have a hidden motive (which often confuses the other side). Two, I am the product of teachers, coaches and principals who took a chance on me. If I don’t pay that forward, the guy in the mirror is relentless.

Which brings us back to “Problems with the Boss,” if you have a problem with the boss it is your problem. You are either on the same page philosophically or you are not. If you are not, you either get in line with the organization, you manage up, you compromise your principles, or you leave. It’s your choice.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

The Poster Contest Recap

Two quick reader’s comments from the poster contest:

“How awesome to see Holbrook as a winner! I taught there for 10 years. Congrats to all the winners!”

And

“SC,

Will you be sharing the winning posters with others in the LYS network?

Thanks,

MS”

Now for the recap:

The 2nd finalist was Holbrook Elementary.

The first finalist was Hairgove Elementary.

And the winner was Lee Elementary.

The Lee poster and some pictures from the staff lunch (35 large pizzas) are above.

Again, thanks to every school who submitted a poster and we will have another contest in early January.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...